He was brilliant. Clearly a child prodigy . . . the pride of Salzburg . . . a performer par excellence. At age five he wrote an advanced concerto for the harpsichord. Before he turned ten he had composed and published several violin sonatas and was playing from memory the best of Bach and Handel. Soon after his twelfth birthday he composed and conducted his own opera . . .
Read MoreTag Archives: Hebrews
Does Anyone Care?
ON THAT ICY JANUARY MORNING, in a twenty-five-cent-a-night flophouse, a shell of a man who looked twice his age staggered to the washbasin and fell. The basin toppled and shattered. He was found lying in a heap, unclothed and bleeding from a deep gash in his throat. His forehead was badly bruised, and he was semiconscious.
Read MoreStuck in the Past
PERHAPS YOU’RE FIGHTING an inner battle with a ghost from the past. The specter of a previous hurt haunts your mind and steals your peace. Before you surrender your case as hopeless, consider the liberating evidence of freedom offered in the Bible. Take an honest look at men and women whom God used despite their past regrets.
Read MoreThe Satisfaction of Being Thorough
I HAVE JUST TAKEN MY Webster’s Dictionary off the shelf and looked up thorough. It means, “carried through to completion, careful about detail, complete in all respects.” Thorough is my kind of word! I learned the importance of being thorough from my parents while growing up in south Texas. Most weren’t so fortunate.
Read MoreRunning to Win
THE MALCOLM BALDRIGE National Quality Award was awarded many years ago to the iconic Ritz-Carlton Hotels. When I congratulated the owner of that outstanding organization, he told me that they would need to work even harder to earn the respect that comes with the prestigious honor. He also mentioned that the award declares that quality is “a race with no finish line.”
Read MoreHe Makes All Things New
THERE IS NO TORMENT like the inner torment of an unforgiving spirit. Without question, it is one of the most miserable attitudes to experience in life. In the New Testament, every mention of bitterness comes from the same Greek root—pik—which means “to cut, prick.” Peter wept “bitterly” after denying Christ (Matthew 26:75), that is, he wept because he was pricked in his conscience.
Read MoreHidden Saints
HIDDEN SAINTS—HOW MANY THERE ARE! Not insignificant nor reluctant, just unknown to us. If we could see as our Father sees, I’m convinced we would be amazed at the size of His family. If the spiritual iceberg were suddenly turned upside down and exposed for all to view, the magnitude of the church He is building would literally take our breath away.
Read MoreBelieving God’s Promises
IN THE BOOK of Hebrews, Abraham is praised for believing God’s promises.
God called Abraham to move to a place where he didn’t know a soul.
Read MoreBeyond Your Comfort Zone
HEBREWS 11 has been called “the hall of faith”—and for good reason. Beginning with one of the first people on earth, the author traces the essential quality of faith through Hebrew history, highlighting ten great men and women.
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